Daily Loaf

The Table Restaurant in St. Pete, which has flirted with two new names recently — The Place and St. Pete Brasserie — as well as different culinary themes, will begin serving its French-inspired menu this weekend, according to GM Andrew Wilkins. Almost all the prices, excepting a ribeye and bigger portions of lamb and filet mignon, are decidedly under $16. Wilkins is also planning to offer a free cocktail with the purchase of an entree, as well as a 4-course prix fixe menu from 5-7 p.m. for $19.

The menu lists the name of the restaurant as The Table Brasserie, so that back-and-forth saga is obviously still ongoing. Wilkins says that his funding still hasn’t come through, so he’s just moving ahead with the changes he can make in the short term. Hence, the new menu. Check it out.

Full menu after the break (be aware that details may change before this weekend): Read the rest of this entry »

Gratzzi’s not dead yet! CineBistro ups the ante on beer and fries theaters! The Table will not be The Spot, or will it? Primi changes owners, but not much else!

Read on for all the details!

Gratzzi closed up shop in Baywatch a few weeks back, right around the same time that Pacific Wave closed on the other side of Downtown St. Pete. For Pacific Wave, the closure was about revenue, and the economy, and being tired of struggling in an industry that’s tough in the best of times. For Gratzzi, though, it was more about the fact that Baywalk is on life-support, with relatives eager to pull the plug and divide its meager posessions. Don’t count Gratzzi out. The Italian restaurant is planning to re-open in the former home of Pacific Wave before the end of the year, if things go well. Owner Domenic D’Angelo will scale back his upscale menu to concentrate on homier dishes that cater to diners’ reduced budgets, with the smaller space a better match for the more casual fare. Read the rest of this entry »

St. Pete’s The Table has ridden a rollercoaster of ups and (mostly) downs since it opened just two years ago. (The long tale, in chronological order: here, here, here, and here.) The original owners walked away from the place, then a new team of owners stepped in, chefs came and went, then the ownership shifted again.

It looks like more change is on the way. According to newish operating partner Andrew “Wilko” Wilkins, the restaurant will cease using The Table as its moniker after tomorrow night, and will close for approximately one week before re-opening as a “new restaurant tentatively named ‘THE’ Place, along side its new companion ‘THE’ Place To Go.”

Chef J. Ward will remain in the kitchen, and will spearhead a menu change that will Read the rest of this entry »

India Grill — the popular St. Pete Indian restaurant — is back in downtown, on Central Ave. in the spot formerly occupied by Leafy Greens Cafe and The Kitchen. It’s the same as before, just moved a few blocks. Check out some of the dishes below (many more pictures — by jamesostrand.com — after the break):

Read the rest of this entry »

400 Beach Seafood and Tap House (400 Beach Dr., St. Petersburg, 727-896-2400)
This new restaurant by Steve Westphal (of Parkshore Grill), is in the the spot made famous as the potential home of a restaurant by lying Food Network chef Robert Irvine. 400 Beach’s focus is on seafood in almost all its forms, from baskets of fried clams to raw oysters to fish en papilote.

Take a look. (Pictures by jamesostrand.com.)

Many more pictures after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Toasted Pheasant Bistro (14445 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 813-265-6700 or toastedpheasant.com) has always been generous when it comes to wine dinners, but this one reaches new lows. Or highs? The only caveat is that the wines are all from Virginia — Kluge Estate, to be exact — which may be either a positive or a negative, depending on your personal level of wine snobbery.

Full details and menu after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Yea, so Ella’s opened last Friday and no one should really be judging any restaurant at this point. But I couldn’t help myself. As a resident of “The Heights”, my yearning for new food in my ‘hood bubbled over. And after months of anticipation, watching the building go up (they bulldozed an existing structure and built from the ground up), waiting on a variety of issues from construction delays to City of Tampa permitting, the locals were getting restless. And hungry for something innovative.

So I’ll cut to the chase: The Heights finally has a place to hang. Cool architecture (complete with controversial yard art), unique decor, huge outdoor seating, food potential. The service and the grub aren’t perfect yet but you feel the love. Highlights: Read the rest of this entry »

Great sushi- now closer to home (for me, anyway).

I was introduced to Origami’s Hillsborough Avenue location about a year ago.  They have a new location on Waters Avenue and a recent move to a new residence put me dangerously close to this location.

There’s a huge selection of makimono, my favorite being Read the rest of this entry »

Wear yellow from head to toe and cluck like a chicken for a free 1/4 chicken value meal at Pollo Tropical today, September 15. Why? Just because.

I have to give kudos to this chicken chain for their constant and unrelenting free-food promotions. Finally, they’re rewarding the small percentage of people who look good in yellow and practice barnyard imitations.

Press release after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

• The Table is in the midst of another shake-up, with 717 South Michael Stewart, former GM Joe Moledo out and Andrew Wilkins (formerly of Mad Fish and Ceviche) in as GM. This comes after a long history of turmoil, including the loss of chef Pedro Flores earlier this year. Looks like the restaurant’s new thrust will be for lower price points and fewer staff changes. (Mouth)

• Ella’s Folk Art Cafe, the first of a new generation of restaurant slated to open in Tampa and Seminole Heights, started serving this past weekend.

The Columbia, OktoBEERfest, Domenica Macchia, and Grattzi’s after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

After a long wait, the first in a series of new restaurants slated for Seminole Heights and Tampa Heights opened over this past weekend.

Ella’s Folk Art Cafe (5119 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, 813-234-1000) looks like it has the right funky vibe to fit in with the Seminole Heights crowd, along with outdoor seating (albeit next to Nebraska) and an eclectic American menu that ranges from beer-battered, deep-fried jalapenos stuffed with pulled pork, cheddar and cream cheese to “beet box and veggie pot pie”, whatever that is. There’s also pizza, salad, and soups; a small but very capable beer list; and a Sunday brunch/neighborhood barbecue.

Open for dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, with daylight hourse on Sunday.

Chef's Special Congee

As a chef, you’re only as good as your last meal. And for most of us, the memory of a bad meal tends to stick around a lot longer than the typical experience. I can describe to you every single detail of a terrible dinner that I had two years ago, but I probably couldn’t tell you what I had for lunch last Monday.

I sometimes wonder why the memory of a bad meal has such an effect on me, and two thoughts come to mind. One: Every meal is an event. It’s a small celebration of the carnal pleasures of life and it’s something I look forward to. So when I am served a bad meal, it feels like someone robbed me. And when someone is robbing you, you want to remember every single detail so you have a good description to give the police. Two: I’m generally more irritable when I’m hungry!
As a chef, I know that it’s impossible to serve impeccable, perfect food. But I also know what the standards should be, and I’m not afraid to call a chef out on a bad outing. Is this article bad karma? Maybe. But I figure if some day someone writes a bad review about my food, I probably deserved it.

Chef’s Special Congee:
It’s ironic that my first article in the “worst meals” series is written about one of my favorite restaurants Read the rest of this entry »

Domenica Macchia is on the move. Again. This week, my favorite fast-talking, passionate chef will take over the kitchen at Bella Brava, replacing outgoing chef  Trevor Lyman at the modern Italian restaurant on downtown St. Pete’s Central Avenue.

New Bella Brava co-owner Mike Harting (fresh from a long career with Outback Steakhouse), started looking for a new chef a couple of months ago. Macchia — who’s first generation Italian, and tried to get a job at Bella Brava in the restaurant’s early days — was the right fit. She left Diner 437 this past weekend, after opening the gastro-diner to pretty much universal local acclaim a few months back.

So, of course, I woke her up this morning to get her thoughts. She’s worried about people thinking she’s switching jobs too much, and doesn’t want to say anything bad about her previous employers, but most of all she’s happy. Excited. Even when she’s groggy from sleep, talking to Macchia is like talking to a culinary machine-gun:

Why’d you leave Diner 437? Read the rest of this entry »

That’s right, Domino’s Pizza will commemorate the latest triple number repeating date with free $25 gift cards to people celebrating birthdays on that vaguely historic date. Don’t think you need to buy the company’s ubiquitous and forgettable pizza with that free cash, though. Domino’s has also added Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes to their repertoire –

“oven-baked chocolate cakes, crunchy on the outside, with rich warm flowing chocolate fudge inside. Inspired by a combination of chocolate and textures, Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes satisfy chocolate cravings.”

But, this free food comes with a catch:
Details after the break – Read the rest of this entry »

This is the time when all the spectacular new restaurants that have opened in the past year can shine and all of Tampa Bay can snub our collective noses at the poor economy. But only one worthy spot can win, and the race is close.

Two St. Pete spots — Diner 437 and Queenshead Eurobar — are in the lead, but there’s still plenty of time to shift victory in this close race to another restaurant. Time to mobilize and vote!

Is your favorite spot in the running? Here’s are the leaders in the race so far, with their current tallies: Read the rest of this entry »

I reviewed the new Queenshead Eurobar — essentially more a gastropub than a bar, Euro or otherwise — yesterday, and liked the place quite a bit, thanks to food from chef Chris Greer and gregarious owners Paul Smith and Darren Conner. It’s a great addition to the Grand Central district with a distinctly neighborhood vibe to the clientele, although the place is good enough to become a destination for other St. Pete residents.

Here’s a more expansive look at the new place, and its food, thanks to photographer jamesostrand.com and amateur videographer David Warner:

Queenshead is housed in a '50s era gas station, which means covered seating in the former home of the pumps.

Read the rest of this entry »

Guess that Restaurant.com gift certificate I recently purchased is null and void.  I was just at Abol Bunna with the International Friends Meetup group and we enjoyed the food and service.  Sluggish economy + sluggish summer = another one bites the dust.

Here’s the email I received tonight from the restaurant: Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the culture surrounding celebrity chefs that’s sprung up in recent years worldwide, our own local culinary heroes usually spend much of their time behind the line instead of in front of the cameras. Our annual Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll is your chance to recognize your favorite knife-wielding madman (or madwoman)!

Right now, the race is tight. Here’s a rundown on the top vote-getters so far: Read the rest of this entry »

The McDonald’s Mega Tomago Big Mac alternative: three beef patties, one Egg McMuffin-style egg, two slices of bacon. I though the Japanese were supposed to be healthy eaters.

Datz Deli: Salt of the Earth. Despite what some may say, Datz wants to teach you that “from fleur de sel to kosher, all salts are not created equal.” Learn how to use this humble ingredient to enhance the flavors of every bite you eat. Free. 6 p.m., 2616 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa (813-831-7000)

Z Grille: Offers 1/2 price bottles of wine every Monday, to go with its fantastic food, which you can enjoy on the cheap as well with this new happy hour food deal: Read the rest of this entry »

I’m over small plates.  It doesn’t matter if you call them sharing plates, crudi, mezze, tapas, appetizers or dim sum. Two things invariably happen when I eat at one of the “small plates” peddlers: I spend way more than is reasonable and I leave hungry. There have been some Saturdays recently when, a couple hours after eating at this type of trendy restaurant, I ended up at the Taco Bus for second dinner. My experience mimicked Robin Dorian’s from Small Plates= Big Bills.

Last May, in Vegas, I attended what was supposed to be an all-you-can-eat tapas dinner at a Spanish restaurant and paid a high “all-inclusive” price. When it was scheduled the month before, my instinct had told me it might not be an ideal situation. I hesitated and discussed it with the restaurant, but agreed to attend because it was a reunion. We had to scrounge for scraps of food off of tiny plates. I left there sober, hungry and resentful. I should have listened to my gut. Read the rest of this entry »

Seven days of food and drink coverage, shortened to a series of pithy links. Eat it up.

Holley Sinn’s Stinky Drinkers combine alcohol and running!

Chef Gui improves your cooking with ten tips, then helps you with plating techniques!

CL’s Top Chef Masters podcast continues its obsession with sex! And food, I guess.

Lael Hazan loves Israel’s food and restaurant culture!, and relates a perfect day in Venice, Italy (with a recipe for fried zucchini blossoms from her husband Giuliano Hazan).

Rishi Ramkissoon eats and fights his way through Bangkok!

Chef Cristian Ferer tells you five things you may not know about food!

Taylor loves Argentinean malbec!

Bethany Sherwin reviews Avery’s Ellie’s Brown Ale and interviews the founder and brewmaster of Terrapin Brewing!

Erica Miller previews Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar!

Colleen Sachs makes locally-raised braised rabbit!

Tucked into a strip mall near USF’s main campus, along with a sports bar and tanning salon, you’ll find Peter Taylor’s passion project: Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar. From the rich orange and gold colors of the floor to the wood burning oven visible from every seat in the house, the entire place was assembled by Taylor’s own hands.

Sinatra music plays in the background and there is not a flatscreen TV to be found. Leather seats convince you to stay a while to enjoy your meal and conversation. Pizzas named Sophia and Raquel are an homage to silver screen icons.

Taylor mans the oven and, if you ask, he’ll tell you how the 16th century cannonball at the front of the store represents the birth of pizza, when Italians first thought to put the once-considered-poisonous tomato on yeast bread. He will convey the story of true Neapolitan pizza and how it became bastardized after arriving in America. That said, he does not claim to make true Neapolitan pies. Read the rest of this entry »

The lady making the tortillas

Excited by Chef Rene Valenzuela’s expansion of his empire, and because I ‘ve been a taco zealot since CL’s Tournament of Tacos in March, I ran right to Taqueria Monterrey on the first day open.

Taqueria Monterrey Day 1:  An artist is still painting signs on the walls.  He asks me to verify his spelling of the word ’Also’ and says the design is inspired by old world Spain.

In keeping with CL’s Beef Week, I ordered Read the rest of this entry »

Considering the buzz about Tampa’s two Ethiopian restaurants (Queen of Sheba and Abol Bunna), I was excited to find cuisine available from another African country – Nigeria.  African Eateries (320 W. Waters Ave., Tampa, 813-443-5152) has been open for about two months and this small, cafeteria-style spot is more of a home kitchen than a restaurant.  The same young lady that takes your order also cooks it and settles the bill at the end.  If the drink cooler had not been behind a counter, they might have suggested we help ourselves.  My friend Laurie says this makes it a micro-restaurant.

Some dishes are available with rice or with pounded yam: a large steaming ball of pale dough which we were told to tear and dip into the stews. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, Capital Grille at International Plaza launches their Master Wine Tasting event, offering up samples of twelve highly-rated, hand-selected wines with the purchase of a lunch or dinner. Master Sommelier George Miliotes (we wrote about him here) personally chose the Spanish, Argentinean, Napa and South African selections for the six-week promotion that starts July 13th and runs through August 23rd.

The wine tasting costs $25 at dinner and $10 at lunch (per person) and you’ll receive 1- to 3-ounce pours of each selection. For the first three-week part of the promotion, you can taste the following wines from Spain and Argentina:

- Marques de Gelida Brut Reserva Cava 2005
- Vega Sindoa Rose 2008
- Shaya Verdejo 2008
- Juan Gil Monastrell 2006 (read Corkscrew review)
- Atteca Old Vine Grenache 2007 (read Corkscrew review)
Read the rest of this entry »

Taco Bus owner Rene Valenzuela has bought the former Malena’s space on 2320 Fletcher Ave. and plans to open an outpost of his Taqueria Monterrey, which has another location in Plant City. According to Valenzuela, “we’ll have a lady in front making tortillas fresh, and all the items that are difficult to do in the Taco Bus.” There will be a larger menu of vegetarian and vegan items, a salsa bar, and more complex food at the new spot, and the prices will be slightly higher than the Taco Bus’ incredibly inexpensive fare.

Sounds like good news, but Read the rest of this entry »

Only until July 12, Arby’s is honoring this coupon, good for a free BBQ Bacon Cheddar Roast Burger (or you can substitute a Roastburger) with any drink purchase.

Click here to download and print coupon.

Don’t know where your nearest Arby’s is located? Find out.

When I reviewed The Nest a couple months back, it seemed like the restaurant had enough going for it to make a run during this shitty economy, especially considering the potential of Gaybor’s resurgence. There was interesting tapas, a good wine list, a nice setting and an experienced restaurateur in Sidney Sakho, a guy who’s managed and owned several restaurant in Washington, DC and elsewhere. Then I talked to Sakho, who was less optimistic than I expected. Read the rest of this entry »

I am still deciding whether to accuse McDonald’s of blatantly pandering to the green consumer or applaud them for one of their most recent initiatives to open what it bills as the “first green restaurant” in Cary, North Carolina on July 14th.  It has the potential to be industry changing, or also just another joke aimed at fat people.

Gizmodo reports McDonald’s says the facility will not only be built using all green construction materials, but will be complete with free-to-use charging stations for your electric vehicle.  That’s right, while you wash down those tasty, salty chunks of charred animal flesh and yummy, deadly fried potatoes with your favorite sugary beverage, you can help the environment by charging up your eco-friendly car simply by pulling up, plugging in, and pigging out.
Read the rest of this entry »

Rawbar
3.5 Stars
777 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, 813-422-5220

It’s interesting to see Taps and Rawbar anchoring adjacent corners of downtown Tampa’s Skypoint building. Both are owned by the same man — James DeVito — and both are attempts to fill niches in downtown Tampa nightlife. The jury’s still out as to whether DeVito is meeting a need, or creating one in a “build it and they will come” moment, but the results are shockingly different at the two joints.

Taps always seemed unfocused, a beer bar with lounge aspirations. DeVito’s brand new Rawbar is entirely different, the concept distilled to the bare essentials, which are then taken to extremes. It’s a Miami scene bar built around an updated sushi menu, the decor almost self-consciously hip, the entire package almost veering into poseur territory. Almost. Read the rest of this entry »

Every Monday through the end of August, Ben and Jerry’s Scoop Shops will be giving away a free sundae with the purchase of one (larger-than-life Vermonster Sundae not included). From the press release:

“Going out for summer ice cream sundaes has been an American tradition for decades,” said Walt Freese, Chief Euphoria Officer of Ben & Jerry’s. “During these tough economic times, we want to ensure that people can still afford simple indulgences as we continue our mission to spread joy for the belly and soul.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Brian and Taylor chat with CL food contributor and successful blogger for EatLiveRun.com, Jenna Weber; discuss Brian’s love affair with Paci Pizza; Jenna and Taylor’s quest for the Murphy-Goode Dream Job; Brian’s homemade smoky pork product and CL’s new food contributor, Chef Gui. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Yet again, CL readers turned out in droves to pick their favorite restaurant among the five regional Top 50 winners. And yet again, the restaurants up for the honor mobilized a huge get-out-the-vote drive. Quickly enough, Backfin Blue and Guppy’s slid out of contention, with Bamboozle struggling to stay in sight of  front-runners Bin 27 Bistro and Council Oak Steakhouse.

Who had the stamina to win this marathon of voting? Find out after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Creative Loafing’s Gay Issue hits the streets on Wednesday just in time for St. Pete Pride. During Pride Week, we’ll be updating last year’s Za-Gay Guide with news about bars, clubs and restaurants that are newly opened or recently renamed.

First up: The Queenshead Eurobar, opening today in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. It’s an updated version of a British pub, with good food and a gay sensibility — and be sure to check out what they’ve got on the walls of the men’s room. More video after the break. Read the rest of this entry »